TASTE
Make a leeks-and-chard dinner tart
By Elaine Magee
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Q. I found this totally awesome recipe for a leek and Swiss chard tart in Bon Appetit magazine, but I can't eat it because it's too high in fat and saturated fat. Can you cut the fat in half for me?
A. Do I hear two-thirds? I hope you don't mind, but I think I found the magical minimum for fat and saturated fat in this recipe and it was one-third that of the original recipe.
Instead of puff pastry I used reduced-fat crescent-roll dough — preserving the convenience but choosing a lower-fat option. Instead of 2 tablespoons of butter to saute the leeks, I got away with 1 tablespoon of canola oil. The filling portion of the tart called for 3 eggs, 2 egg yolks, and 1 1/4 cups whipping cream. Can you say "rich"? Oh my gosh! I kept the 3 eggs but used a higher-omega-3 (lower fat and cholesterol) egg and replaced the 2 egg yolks with egg substitute. For the whipping cream, I blended some whole milk with some fat-free half-and-half. You can use one or the other for all 1 1/4 cups. I just like the combination of these two for a dish such as this (fat-free half-and-half can look a little pasty white all by itself).
The calories went from 405 to 250 and the fat dropped dramatically from 32 grams to 10 grams, with saturated fat down from 14 grams to 3.8. The cholesterol was cut by more than half, going from 191 milligrams to 83. And it was delicious!
LIGHT LEEK & SWISS CHARD TART
Place oven rack at bottom third of the oven and heat oven to 425 degrees.
Roll out crescent roll dough and line a 9-inch-diameter deep pie dish (coated with canola cooking spray) with the 1 1/2 packages of crescent roll dough. Line the pie dish like you would a pie crust, leaving a slight overhang over the edge so you can fold under and crimp the edges. Cover and chill.
Heat the tablespoon of canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped leeks and thyme and continue to cook, stirring often, until leeks are very tender but not yet brown (about 6 to 8 minutes). Add the chopped Swiss chard and saute until wilted (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat and cool.
Add whole milk, fat-free half-and-half, eggs, egg substitute, salt, pepper, and nutmeg to large mixing bowl and whisk or beat on low until completely blended. Stir in the cooled leek mixture and pour filling into prepared crust.
Bake tart for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees. Bake about 25 more minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is set in center. Serve warm or cold.
Makes 8 servings.
For information about Elaine Magee's books and to join the free Recipe Doctor Club, see www.recipedoctor.com.
